#187 – Equipping, Calling, Going (ECG)

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We have just returned from ECG (Equipping, Calling, Going) which took place at Llandudno’s Venue Cymru in the week after Easter (6th – 11th April). Having attended Easter People in the past, this is our first visit to ECG which has continued in a similar style since the late Rob Frost felt it was right to ‘lay down’ Easter People. The event has been organised by Rev. Ashley Cooper, Rev. Steve Lindridge and others on the management team (alongside their responsibilities within the Methodist Church).

The event is labelled a conference in that it has a mixture of events including Bible Studies, Prayer Events, Worship Celebrations, Seminars on a variety of topics, Fringe Events, Live Debates, Youth Activities, Children’s Activities and Beach Missions. There were a variety of speakers and contributors including Rev. Dr. Martyn Atkins (General Secretary of the Methodist Church in Britain and Ireland), Rev. Dr. David Wilkinson (Principal of St. John’s College Durham) with his wife Alison, Bishop Wayne Malcolm (Senior Pastor in one of London’s fastest growing churches), Rev. Paul Smith (Superintendent Minister of Plymouth Central Hall), Paul Field (professional musician and composer who has written songs for Cliff Richard and produced a number of Christian musicals), Abundant Life Worship Team, Roy Crowne (formerly the National Director of Youth for Christ and now the executive director of HOPE) and many more. This shows that ECG is not just for Methodists but for the whole Church.

The vast array of activities leaves people free to choose as much or as little as they wish to attend. The daily cycle of events is the same with All Age Worship or seminars at 9:30am, Youth and Children’s Activities at 10:30am, Bible Studies at 11am, seminar streams at 2:30pm & 4:30pm and celebrations at 7pm, followed by fringe events at 9:45pm. Other venues around the town were used, especially the Compassion Café at Emmanuel Church which was used for world prayer and musical events.

Comparisons are often made with Spring Harvest which meets at the same time but in multiple venues. The concept behind the two events is similar but ECG, being focussed largely on the Methodist Church, is smaller. However, I spoke to a number of people who have attended both events and they spoke positively about ECG and some have chosen ECG above Spring Harvest, especially when it comes to Youth and Children’s Activities. The partnership with Youth for Christ, Abundant Life Ministries and Big Ministries has done much to bring professionalism into this field.

The event is unashamedly contemporary and you won’t hear many traditional hymns being sung (if any). This for some would be a turn-off. Easter People used to keep something of a balance in this area but it never really worked (in my view). The quality of the musicians leading worship was excellent as was the overall organisation and variety of activities. The Venue Cymru is modern and comfortable with on-site eating places. There is also a market place where different organisations have stands advertising their material. These included the Bible Society, Compassion UK, Youth for Christ, Traidcraft, Methodist Evangelicals Together and many more.

Next year the event takes place from April 28th to May 2nd and coincides with the Llandudno Victorian Festival so accommodation will be hard to acquire but it offers evangelistic opportunities which don’t normally present themselves. Most people stay in local hotels or guest houses, self-catering accommodation or campsites. All are within easy reach of the venue and are reasonably priced.

On a personal note, having worked with Ashley Cooper and Steve Lindridge over many years and knowing the amount of work they put into their normal tasks, I pay tribute to what they have achieved at ECG. The logistical tasks alone are huge during the event itself, but having to attract top speakers and create a varied programme to suit a wide variety of tastes is also a real challenge. For those who are unsure about such events, I would encourage you to give it a try. Bookings can be made through the web site (www.ecgevent.org.uk) and they are holding 700 hotel rooms for the next 4 weeks because of the likely accommodation problems next year. Around 30 people from the Nottingham and Derby District attended this year’s event and many will be attending again next year.